


into the sunset

by fangirl_squee



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: 5 Things, M/M, Weddings, background grand/echo, background tender/fourteen, gig kephart is a horse girl, post series twilight mirage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:47:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28830660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl_squee/pseuds/fangirl_squee
Summary: “This horse already has my heart” or, 5 ways to incorporate your horse into your wedding.
Relationships: Gig Kephart & Duck, Kent Brighton/Gig Kephart
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	into the sunset

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this very real article](https://ihearthorses.com/9-ways-incorporate-horses-into-your-wedding/), and to [muna's inspirational tweet](https://twitter.com/hellavarawr/status/1330293872895946753) that helped me to find it in the first place.

  1. _Include the horse when you pop the question._



When Gig retold the story later - for his fans and also, in a vastly more detailed version, for his friends - he  _ always  _ made sure to credit Duck. 

“He’s  _ such _ a smart horse,” said Gig, “he always has great ideas.”

“Uh huh,” said Grand, “So… you proposed to Kent because… a horse told you to?”

Echo elbowed Grand in the side. Grand let out a sound of surprise. Gig laughed.

“Of course not! I already wanted to!” said Gig, “But he helped me find the right spot.”

He’d wanted to find the  _ perfect _ spot to propose. Kent was all about Brighton, so it made sense to do it somewhere that he would have thought was a good spot for Brighton stuff. Gig’s eye helpfully pulled up a list of historical Brighton moments in history with their locations, but they were all battles or crises of some kind, which didn’t feel totally right for the  _ romance _ of the moment. He was kind of hoping their marriage would be the opposite of a war.

Gig clicked around random spots on the map, zooming in and out as things caught his attention. The beach was maybe a good spot, Kent liked the beach, sort of. He liked the water at least. So maybe a boat would be a better choice, but how was he going to get him on the boat with any kind of privacy without telling Kent why he wanted them to go on the boat…

Duck nudged his hand, sending the screen flying away. Gig quickly reached out to catch it.

“Come on Duck, I’m trying to- oh,” said Gig, “Oh,  _ wow _ , yeah! Duck! That’s perfect!”

Gig reached out to pet Duck’s mane. Duck’s mane tangled with his fingers, squeezing his hand. Gig squeezed back, feeling the grin on his face grow as he looked at the screen Duck had managed to land him on.

“The ice skating rink,” said Gig, remembering the moment of helping Kent around the ice, their fingers intertwined with one anothers as Kent had fumblingly admitted to him feelings. “You’re a  _ genius _ .”

Duck whinnied, sounding pleased.

  
  
  


  1. _Equine grand entry._



Arranging to meet Kent proved to be slightly more difficult. Getting Kent on a call was always easy, but that was because it was easy for Kent to schedule a call while he was travelling from one meeting to another or while he pottered around, getting ready in the morning or preparing for bed. Those were Gig’s favourite kind of calls, where the physical distance between them felt insignificant, the sight of Kent sleepily smiling at him through the screen feeling inches away instead of planets.

As it was, he’d had just enough time between thinking about proposing and actually getting the opportunity to do it to get nervous about it. The feeling bubbled in his chest, making his fingers twitch.

“He’s absolutely going to say yes,” said Tender, “Like, I don’t think you need to worry about that.”

Gig laughed. “I don’t- I’m not super worried about that part. I mean, he hasn’t mentioned anything about being betrothed for the Brighton line or anything, so I think we’re good on that front. But I- it’s like I’m building something from scratch. I don’t want to mess up the foundations, you know?”

Tender nodded. She glanced behind her, where Gig could just make out the shape of Fourteen through the window, bent as they tended to their vegetable patch. Tender’s expression softened at the edges slightly before she turned back to Gig.

“I mean, that’s totally fair but… it’s not like a house. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s more like a cocktail.”

“You… think I should organise drinks?” said Gig. “I mean, I guess he does like jelly juice…”

Tender huffed a laugh. “No, I mean it’s more… you mix stuff together and see how it turns out, you know, season to your own personal taste.” She paused. “And if you think you’ll need drinks on the day, let me know, and I can suggest something good.”

“To my own personal taste,” said Gig, “Okay, alright.”

He brought Duck along with him. He’d carefully decorated the saddle in Brighton colours, dressing himself and Duck neatly before they made their way to the ice-skating rink. Kent was waiting for him, his expression brightening as he caught sight of Gig. Gig felt something in his chest unfurl, curling around the ball of anxious energy there, and he smiled back.

  
“Well!” said Kent, as they reached him, “ _ Well _ , this is a surprise! Hello Gig! Hello Duck!”

Duck whinnied his approval, reaching out with his mane to ruffle Kent’s hair. Kent gave a sound of surprise.

“That means he likes you,” said Gig.

“Oh, well, that’s good,” said Kent, “I quite like him too.”

Gig laughed, holding a hand out to Kent. “Come on.”

“On- with you?” said Kent.

“Sure!” said Gig, “It’s easy.”

“I’ve, ah, I haven’t ever ridden a horse like Duck before,” said Kent hesitantly.

“There are no horses like Duck, he’s one of a kind,” said Gig. He paused. “Come on, you can hold onto me, if you need to.”

Kent’s cheeks flushed. “Well, I- I don’t want to overstep-”

“You’re not!” said Gig, “Come on, Duck can help you up.”

“I suppose that would be- oh!”

Duck picked Kent up with his mane, carefully setting Kent down behind Gig. Gig pet the side of Duck’s neck before he reached back to put a hand on Kent’s side. Even through Kent’s thickly starched shirt, Gig could feel the warmth of his skin.

“All set?” said Gig.

“I… I think so,” said Kent. “I must say, Duck feels a lot taller once you’re up here.”

“Here-” said Gig.

He reached out, taking one of Kent’s hands and sliding it around his waist. He could feel Duck doing the same with Kent’s other hand, shifting Kent forward a little more until he was pressed against Gig’s back. Kent’s hands flexed, his palms hot through the thin fabric of Gig’s singlet.

He swallowed, trying not to think too much about it, or about the rings that he’d tucked away in the saddlebag.

“There,” said Gig, “All set?”

“I believe so,” said Kent, sounding a little unsteady.

Gig put a hand over Kent’s where they were clasped around Gig’s waist.

“Don’t worry,” said Gig, “I’ve got you.”

“You certainly do,” said Kent softly.

  
  


  1. _Horsey ring bearer._



Gig walked them in a slow circle of the ice skating rink, waving to people who waved to him, or who seemed excited to see him. He even recognised some of them, the families who lived on Brighton who’d been some of the first at the ice skating rink after he’d built it, and some who’d even helped him build it.

“I’d forgotten how often you were spotted,” said Kent, “How silly of me, I should have made sure to clear away the public before you arrived.”

“Why?” said Gig, twisting a little in his seat to look back at Kent.

“I’m sure you’re tired of it,” said Kent, “I only deal with half as much attention and I often find myself quite exhausted by the end of the day.”

“Nah,” said Gig, “I’m used to it. Besides, if it wasn’t for being so well-known, I might never have gotten on that first mission, and then I never would have met, and that would suck.”

Kent’s cheeks flushed. “Oh, well that’s- that’s a very generous way to look at it.”

“I guess,” said Gig, “You more than make up for the downsides.”

The colour of Kent’s cheeks deepend. “Oh! Well! I- you too. I mean- not the fame part of things, obviously, I’m- but the- the you part of things.”

Duck changed course a little, leading them towards a small grouping of frangipani trees, the smell of the ocean mixing with the scent of the flowers and giving them the pretence of privacy from the crowd of skaters. Duck whinnied, his mane wriggling under Gig’s hands.

“Oh! Duck, you’re totally right,” said Gig.

“Right about what?” said Kent.

“I- hold on-”

Gig shifted, swinging himself down off Duck. Kent made a move as though he was going to follow but Gig put a hand on his waist, keeping him on the saddle.

“Gig,” said Kent, “What-”

Gig sank to one knee. Kent’s hands flew to cover his mouth, his eyes going wide.

“ _ Gig _ ,” said Kent, his voice slightly muffled by his hands, “What are you- are you-”

“Kenton Brighton,” said Gig, “I’m not good with speeches like this, but I- this- ever since I met you things have been such a wild ride and you’re- you’re great Kent, you’re  _ so  _ great and I-”

He patted his pocket for the ring, his stomach sinking for a horrible moment before Duck reached into the side saddle and pulled out the ring box, placing it neatly in Gig’s hands. He whinnied again, a sound of encouragement. Gig let out a breath, steadying himself.

“Thanks buddy,” said Gig, “Kent Brighton, will you-”

“ _ Yes _ !” said Kent, “Yes, Gig, one hundred percent, absolutely, I- Yes, yes,  _ yes _ .”

Gig stood, sliding the ring onto Kent’s finger. Kent tangled their fingers together, pulling Gig closer and bending to kiss him. Gig stretched up to kiss Kent, feeling Duck’s mane keeping him steady.

  
  


  1. _Have the wedding at a barn._



The location had been hard to find. They needed something neutral enough that Gig could invite his friends, but not  _ so  _ neutral to Brighton that some of Kent’s more traditional relations would feel unwelcome. It was Signet who found the spot, an old abandoned homestead close enough to Brighton territory that you could see the border after you got clear of the trees, but not close enough to Brighton fleets that they could be rallied in an instant.

“I mean, it’s kind of a fixer-upper,” said Signet, “but I figured that would be more of a bonus for you.”

“Yeah,” said Gig with a laugh, turning back to the barn.

The roof was threatening to fall in, and what little paint remained was peeling, and the forest was almost overgrowing the small house that was attached to the barn. Gig beamed, already seeing the layers of work he’d need to do to get it ready. He bounced on the balls of his feet, the restless energy of the scale of a big project already singing through him.

“Oh yeah,” said Gig, “best wedding present ever!”

Signet smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder as Gig sketched out his plans in the mesh around them.

He didn’t broadcast  _ all _ of it, not every fix was useful for other people, and some things he’d already covered multiple times, but it was fun to pick out the things that hadn’t. He cut down clearing out the garden into a speedrun, adding in lingering shots of the flowers he managed to uncover amongst the weeds. He did voiceover of the roof repair, as careful to keep his footing as he was to keep Echo’s face off camera.

“I mean, I guess people kind of know who you are now,” said Gig, “But I know you don’t really like-”

He waved a hand between them, gesturing at his eye and Echo’s eyepatch. Echo’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

“Yeah, I- thanks.” They paused. “I don’t even get why people would want to see me all that much.”

“Because,” said Gig, “You’re  _ awesome _ .”

Echo laughed. “You and Grand are very easily impressed.”

“Nah,” said Gig, stepping forward to help Echo lift one of the fallen support beams back up, “I think you’re just that impressive.”

Echo was there for the wedding, too. They all were, trailing in from their distant corners of the galaxy, their best clothes like points of rainbow light scattered in-between the pristine uniforms of the Brighton lineage. Signet presided over all, leading Gig and Kent through their vows.

Duck held onto the rings, his mane gleaming under the strings of fairy lights as he held them out, one the Gig and one to Kent. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tender put her head on Fourteen’s shoulder, Cascabel shift to press a kiss to Even’s cheek, Echo, in the front row, reach for Grand’s hand. Kent smiled and Gig’s heart felt full of the sight of it. 

  
  


  1. _Exit princess style._



They’d danced for far longer than Gig had meant to. Every song made his heart burst with joy, and he wanted to spin around and around with Kent until they were both laughing too hard to catch their breath. The songs slowed as the night wore on, couples dancing closer with one another or tucked into the corners of the barn.

Kent sighed against Gig’s shoulder, his eyes fluttering closed as Gig held him close.

“I guess it is kind of getting late,” said Gig.

Kent hummed. ”Perhaps we could leave a little early. It is our party after all.”

“I guess so,” said Gig.

He caught sight of Duck, waiting for him outside the doors of the barn, enjoying some of the apples Yam had brought as a gift.

“I think I know just how to make our getaway,” said Gig.

“Hmm? Oh!”

Kent’s eyes fluttered open as Gig shifted to pick him up, carrying him towards the doors. Duck caught Gig’s meaning immediately, walking forward and reaching out his mane to lift them both onto his back. Kent leant towards him, curling a hand around the lapels of Gig’s patchwork jacket.

Gig laughed, the sound of it attracting the attention of the other guests, who gathered to say their goodbyes. Duck whinnied, walking slowly through the crowd, giving them time to wave and share lingering promises to call, to visit, to meet up in the mesh before they broke free, heading slowly in the direction of their little honeymoon boat.

Kent made a sleepy sound and Gig pressed a kiss to the top of his head, and the three of them headed into the night, and into their future together.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi: mariusperkins on most places


End file.
